A Flawed Program
by Jak0TheShadows
Summary: [Chapter 8 up] Zim is declared a defect and called back to Irk. He returns, much to everyone's suprise, during senior year and has changed in ways. Gaz notices. ZAGR
1. Unexpected return

Hello everyone! This is another chapter story! I'm horrible about this aren't I?

This one's different though I promise! I'm writing ahead with this one so you shouldn't have to wait to long for chapters! YAY!

Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever owned any part of Invader Zim.

"Speaking"

_'Thinking'_

* * *

Seventh Grade year 

"Alright Zim! Come out of your house/base/doom... place! I know you're in the-" Dib came to an abrupt halt in front of the wide alley where Zim's erratically drawn house had, less than a day ago, been. "Wha? What's going on!" Dib cried at the empty space.

Nothing was there. The house, the huge power cords, the gnomes, even the fence.

Gaz walked up and stopped next to him and raised an eyebrow, "What happened to your stupid friend?"

"He's not my friend he's an ali- aw forget it... Where'd he go?" Dib scanned the eerily _normal_ scene and his eyes fell on a short green skinned figure standing next to a voot ship.

Dib ran forward in haste shouting, "ZIM! You evil alien! What sort of diabolical plan are you up to now?"

Zim turned in surprise to face his adversary and sighed, "Dib-monkey you..." he seemed to have trouble saying something. "You... win," all the fight just drained right out of him then.

"What are you talking about? This is some plan isn't it!"

"No flesh-worm... The Tallest have ordered me back from my mission. I am to return to Irk immediately. My mission is over," the green alien, disguise less, sighed again and hopped inside his ship.

"Master!" a shout came from the mouth of the alley and a small green dog ran past Gaz, tears streaming from his robotic eyes.

"GIR!" Zim shouted, "Stay here... on Earth. If you come back with me the Tallest will just have you deactivated. I'll tell them you were destroyed."

GIR stopped and stared through his big googly eyes, comprehension obviously not there.

Another sigh escaped Zim's mouth and he muttered quietly to himself as he powered up the cruiser, "Stay here and have a big breakfast of waffles GIR."

The robot's normally blue eyes flashed to red and he saluted, "Yes master!" His eyes flashed back to blue and he started hitting himself on the head, "Wheee ooooh!"

The cruiser lifted off the ground and Zim frowned as he lifted off into space, "Dib-monkey! I'll come back! You won this game but I'll be back for a second! I AM ZIM!" and with that he was gone.

"That was stupid," Gaz punched her brother and walked off.

* * *

Twelfth Grade year 

Dib sat in Ms. Bitters history class (yes, she moved up every single year with Dib... Dib thought it was because she wanted to torture him personally) and half listened as she drawled on about the universe eventually destroying itself and he started to fall asleep.

"Class," the terrifying teacher said from the front of the room, "We have a new student today and while teachers rarely, if ever, introduce new students in high school classes for purposes of plot exposition I'm forced to introduce you to," she read a piece of paper and shrugged, "Oh so he's back... Zim, reintroduce yourself to everyone."

A still short (but taller than he had been in seventh grade) green skinned, boy with black hair and large eyes smiled at the class, "Hello fellow worm-babies! I am a simple, normal human earth creature just as you all!"

"Good, now sit down," Ms. Bitters began to speak of death and doom again.

When Dib was sure Ms. Bitters was in her own separate world he walked over to Zim's desk and glared at him. Zim smiled back at him, "Hello Dib-monkey. How was life without me, Zim!" he shook a fist for emphasis.

Dib shook his head, "Still Zim I see."

"Zim will always be Zim," the smile so often seen before crossed his face... There was something different about it though. Dib couldn't put his finger on it.

Dib had fourth period lunch. Zim had sixth. It seemed Dib only had one class at all with Zim. That would make it hard to keep an eye on him.

Gaz watched in rare fascination as a person who she had thought left her life forever walked boldly into her sixth period lunch. He took a seat at one of the corner tables that had no one sitting at it without even bothering to get any food. He just sat there and stared out the large cafeteria windows and ignored the many people pointing at his odd skin color and mocking him.

This was a different Zim the one that had left back in seventh grade. The Zim that had left would have stood on his table and shouted loudly, "I am normal!" or something and thus would have made himself stand out more.

In fascination she found herself picking up her tray and walking over to sit with him. He watched her approach warily.

"Gaz-human..." he looked her up and down, "You have grown larger. You may sit if you want."

Gaz felt a rage boil inside her, _'Who is he to tell me I can sit down?' _she thought... but took a seat anyway.

"Zim, I thought you left."

"I did."

"Well obviously... why'd you come back though?"

He looked at her and she thought she saw an intense sadness inside his eyes.

He shrugged.

"You don't know why you came back?"

"Why I came back is Zim's own business!" he hissed.

Gaz shrugged and started eating.

The rest of their lunch was eaten (or not in Zim's case) in silence.

Dib was amazed. It was just like it had been almost five years ago. The house was still horribly misshapen, the gnomes were still creepy (and shot lasers at him when he tried to enter), the huge power cords still thrust themselves through the adjacent houses, and GIR was still happy to let Zim's antagonist inside the base.

Dib had spent the last ten minutes nostalgically looking at the inside which also looked exactly the same as before. "GIR let you in didn't he?" Zim muttered as he walked inside.

"Hm? ZIM!" Dib turned and drew from his trench coat a small knife he'd brought with him, "I'll get you this time Zim! I'm going to catch you and then scientis-"

"Yes yes! I'm sure they will stink-beast," Zim mocked and smiled at Dib, "From what I've seen everyone still thinks you're crazy."

"When I catch you they'll believe me," Dib growled.

"You'll never catch Zim!" the alien cried, "GIR defensive mode!"

GIR ran into the room from the kitchen and his eyes turned red, "Yes sir!" and then he promptly jumped out the nearest window.

Zim smacked his face and Dib cocked his head slightly, "Who took care of GIR in all the time you were gone?"

Zim frowned, "No idea. He said something about the nice, pretty lady but I really don't know."

Dib launched himself at Zim and robotic legs shot out of Zim's PAK, pulling him to the ceiling. Using his spider-like extra appendages Zim scurried to the opposite side of the room and dropped back to the floor. The two ran at each other and found themselves in a beautiful unending dance.

An extended robotic leg would attempt to pierce Dib's side but he would dodge and thrust his knife towards Zim's Squeedly-Spooch which Zim in turn would jump over and attack again with different arm.

The dance continued for some ten minutes before the front door swung open and Gaz walked in. Both Zim and Dib stopped attacking each other and fell over, she sniggered. "Dib, dinner," the teenage girl stated simply and walked out.

Dib got to his feet and looked around awkwardly, "Don't think this is over for a minute Zim! I'll return and do... things... to you," and Dib ran off towards his home, fearing the wrath of his sister.

"I await our next confrontation eagerly Dib-beast!"

Zim stood in front of the communication screen. _'Why did I put this room back in?_' he wondered to himself. In frustration he picked up a nearby table and violently threw it at the screen. It imbedded itself inside the screen. and pieces of glass rained down on him. _'Its not like I have to check in and tell them about my mission progress...'_

He turned and walked out of the room and destroyed the door scanner, permanently sealing it behind him.

"I, Zim, am an exile," the alien muttered to himself, "Ha! I, Zim, am defective. I, Zim, am worthless. I, Zim, was supposed to die..."

He rode the trash can up into the first floor of his base and couldn't get it out of his head, '_Why didn't I let them deactivate me like an Irken is supposed to? Why did I run? Why do I want to live still?' _

* * *

There! That's the first chapter! I know it's not interesting yet but I promise it'll get more interesting. ZAGR is coming I swear! 

If you find any errors feel free to tell me. Please review! I really like reviews and I like to know that people are reading and enjoying it!


	2. Nipples?

Last time on A Flawed Program,

Dib became pregant and it was Zim's baby. Zim didn't know what to do so he threw himself off a skyscraper and kiled himself. Dib died in childbirth.

And now, the continuation of last episode...

* * *

The week passed oddly reminiscent of the past with Zim pretending to be a normal human teenage boy and Dib trying to convince the rest of his class that Zim was an alien. The one real difference was Zim himself. Years away from earth had changed him somehow and he was more subdued. He just overall quieter and Dib found it very unsettling. Zim and Gaz mad a habit of sitting together at lunch and, through their mutual dislike of everyone, found something to... not bond over but... talk about.

* * *

Gaz shook with bottled rage as she sat on her bed trying to read while Dib walked back and forth talking endlessly about, what else, Zim. It was all he had talked about since the space boy's strange return roughly a week ago. Finally Gaz got fed up, threw her book at him and left the house for a walk. She didn't know why but the walk ended up leading her right to Zim's house and because she didn't feel like going back home, and because it would _really_ bother Dib when he found out, she walked up and rang the doorbell. 

Zim answered the door in his human disguise and raised an eyebrow in question when he found Gaz outside his base, "What do you want of the Mighty Zim!" he cried and tapped his foot impatiently.

"I'm bored and annoyed by my brother so I took a walk and ended up here," she walked inside without being invited and looked around, "What do you have to do around here?"

"Filthy Earth-worm! Zim did not invite you into his house!"

"Yeah whatever. Do you have any video games?"

"No!" and Zim began to laugh maniacally before Gaz punched him and turned on the tv. "Ah! But... Gaz-human! You must leave! This is the base of Zim!"

Gaz merely rolled her eyes.

Eventually Zim just sighed and took a seat next to her and watched The Scary Monkey Show with her. "That monkey..." he muttered.

* * *

Lunch again. Gaz was playing her Game Slave Pi and Zim was staring out the cafeteria window. The nearest table to them happened to be a table of freshmen and everyone knows freshmen are all assholes. An open bottled water sailed over to Zim and Gaz's table and connected directly with Zim, splashing water all over him. 

At first Zim just stared in shock but then he felt overwhelming pain all over his body his skin began to fizzle and steam. He fell to the ground in agony and screamed as he tore at his t-shirt (he hadn't worn any Irken outfits since his return) finally ripping it off of his body and gasping as his body finally dried itself. The entire cafeteria was silent. Not because of Zim's screaming, most of the population fondly remembered him screaming like that from Junyor Hygh. No, the cafeteria was entirely focuses on the grievous and horrifying scars covering Zim's chest and back.

Zim got to his feet and picked up his shirt (what was left), careful to only let it touch his gloves (okay so he still does wear the gloves, but that's it!). He walked over to the offending freshman and whispered something quietly to him so only he could hear it. The boy paled considerably.

The alien left the cafeteria and talking resumed.

Gaz was now even more fascinated with the extraterrestrial than she had been before. Even minus the grievous and horrifying scars Gaz had noticed also with considerable interest that he, Zim, had nipples. That was something she distinctly remembered him not having during the whole lice adventure in Alementree Skool. She wondered if she should ask Dib about it.

* * *

"Nipples?" Dib asked incredulously, "You're sure?" 

"I know what I saw Dib. Zim has nipples. Now explain to me why," Gaz tapped her foot impatiently and felt her rage growing simply from talking to him.

"I... don't know. I mean, I distinctly remember him not having nipples during that whole lice episode in Alementree Skool (and of course no one else noticed...) but... I'll have to ask the Swollen Eyeballs."

"Any idea?" Dib asked the shadowy outline of Agent Darkbootie on his computer screen.

"Nipples you say?" the silhouette asked.

"Yes! I swear Zim didn't have nipples when he left!"

"That's creepy that would know that... you're creepy."

"No I'm not! It's for the safety of earth! Regardless, do you have any idea?"

Darkbootie shrugged, "I couldn't say but maybe..."

"Maybe what!"

"Maybe his physiology is adapting to the planet in some way."

"Hrm..." Dib contemplated this and then spoke up again, "Any idea why he might have gotten all those scars?"

"No idea," the link went dead and Dib leaned back in his chair to stare blankly at the ceiling.

* * *

Gaz didn't actually wait to find out what Dib was going to learn from the Swollen Eyeballs. She was going to go ask the horse directly... or something like that. 

The door was answered by GIR who smiled up at Gaz and said, "Master's in the basement. I'm gonna roll around on the floor now 'kay?" and then proceeded to do so. Gaz ignored the idiot robot and took the trash can down into the basement of Zim's lab.

She found him standing in front of the sealed door into the communications/testing room. He was just staring at it, idiot. She walked up to him and punched him in the back of the head.

"You dare assault the mighty Zim!" he cried and spun around.

"Hi," she said simply.

"What do you want Gaz-human?" he asked.

Gaz was never one for small talk, "Why do you have nipples?"

Zim started at the question and if he could have blushed she was certain he would have. "That is none of your business Dib-sibling."

"Then why do you have scars all over your body?"

"None of your business..." the coldness of his voice almost scared even her. Almost.

She took him by the throat and slammed him into wall, holding him there. Though he was certainly stronger he made no move to fight back.

"Tell me or I will thrust you into a world of unimaginable pain and horror," she growled and he gave in.

"Fine, fine," he looked away from her, "Zim will tell you Gaz-human! The Irken race... has no actual biology of its own. We are computers with an organic body around it," he pointed to his PAK. "A hundred years ago the Irken race looked mostly like rat-like creatures. A hundred years before that we looked mostly like fish. So on and so on... Get it now? The Irken race steals the best DNA of its conquered planets."

Zim smiled like a crazy person, "The longer I live on this filty rock the more human I become."

Gaz raised an eyebrow, "You're a robot? Like GIR?"

"A robot... Sort of. We're more like organic robots. GIR has a fixed personality and is programmed to be submissive to me (though that works _so_ well). Irken are programmed with all the emotions you filthy humans possess. Love, desire, pride, hate, lust and then we are discouraged from using them on punishment of... sometimes death."

"You're programmed with emotion but then can't use it? How does that make any sense?"

"A robot can only do so much. A robot can't really think. They can process and decode but they can't think. Irken can. It makes us the most powerful beings in the universe."

"None of that states why your body is covered in scars."

"And none of it will... I'm not telling you."

Gaz glared at him and Zim glared back just as fiercely. Then she socked him the chest and dropped him with a shrug. She left back up the very same way she came.

* * *

Lunch again. Gaz sat and played her Game Slave Pi while Zim stared out the Cafeteria windows. Again, simply because freshmen are assholes, the nearby freshmen table threw a hamburger at Zim and it connected with his shoulder, burning it badly. Zim screamed at jumped to his feet. He turned to the table of hysterical freshmen and shouted as he walked over to them, "You dare mock Zim!" 

Old Zim would have just shouted. Gaz noted with interest, Zim really had changed. Zim picked the ringleader of the table out of his seat and an Irken fist thrust into the boy's face to send him sprawling across the table. "I warned you," Zim said coldly, loud enough for nearby table to hear, "I warned you... but I'm forgiving." He pointed to the ringleader, "I'll only take him this time," he said to the rest of the table.

Zim walked back and sat down with Gaz.

Ringleader freshman wasn't in school the next day. Or the day after. Or the day after.

* * *

It was Friday and Gaz was annoyed by her brother again. She found herself once more at Zim's. Zim let her in without complaint this time and they both sat down to watch tv. 

Gaz was confused. She was supposed to hate everyone and everything and yet here she was in this dim-witted alien that's actually a robot type thing's house watching tv with him and she felt... comfortable.

Zim too was confused. His entire existence he'd been told of how an Irken should suppress his emotions and feelings. They only interfered with conquest and the mission. Then why did this feeling he got from sitting with Gaz and watching television feel so nice?

Lunch again. Almost two months had gone by and Zim and Gaz were now what both would consider friends. Gaz looked over her Game Slave Pi at Zim and frowned. He was, as always, staring out the window. She wondered what he thought about when he was looking out that window.

"No," she told herself, "I don't care." She went back to playing Vampire Piggy Hunter 3x Squared Deluxe Edition.

"Gaz-human," Zim said, still looking out the window.

"Yeah?" she asked without looking up.

"I have read of a strange ritual between two persons who have... odd feelings for each other. I read that they go on," and his hands went up to make quotes at this, "dates. I find myself having odd feelings when in your presence... Should we go on this 'date' thing?"

Gaz looked up at Zim in surprise and didn't even notice when a vampire piggy ate her player.

* * *

Hooray! The second chapter is up! The third one will probably be up sometime this weekend. This chapter, 2, details my basic idea on the Irken race. Computers with an organic body around it. 

Nekoshoujo- More ZaGR in this chapter, as promised. And the next chapter certainly seems to imply it as well doesn't it?

E-Nixn- GIR is quite fun to write. Hard... but fun.

Geminidragon76- Yes, Zim's changed a little over the years. I am trying very hard to keep him Zimlike though and I hope I'm succeeding.

Thanks to all the other people who read and didn't review. I do so hope you review this one. Please? If you don't, GIR will sad.


	3. Yes, but that's why I'm so amazing!

I was going to update tomorrow but the snow kept me at home so I decided, "Why not?" and gave it to you all a day early.  
Am I not amazing? Yes, yes I am.

Last time on A Flawed Program,

Zim was miraculously found before he died from the fall and taken to the hosipital where he learned of Dib's unfortunate death. He cried himself to sleep and in the morning prepared himself for fatherhood. Afterall, he had a baby to take care of now.

* * *

The dark (but not gothic... she hated when people called her that) girl took a seat at the small table in _El morte Doninhas_ and almost smiled. She caught herself though and started brooding instead, _'Why did I agree to this?' _She'd almost become okay with it when in he entered and she groaned to herself. 

Zim was dressed in a purple suit that looked like it had been made by someone who didn't know exactly what a suit looked like and had only ever seen one on television. Oh it looked like a suit but there were just little things that made it... not a suit. The green boy saw her and started walking over to her.

"Hello Gaz-human, I believe flowers are customary?" he pulled out a handful of dandelions that had obviously been pulled out of the sidewalk on the way here and still had clumps of dirt in the roots. She took them with a grimace and quickly stowed them beneath the table, never to be seen again.

"Zim I don't know if this is a good idea..." Gaz muttered, "If Dib finds out about this he'll bother me for like a month going on about how I should stay away from you and how he needs to protect me. I hate it when he talks like that."

"Fear not Gaz-human. Dib-monkey shall not know of our outing. I have already seen to it, thinking you would prefer him not to know," he smiled widely, "Zim is a genius!"

Gaz smirked.

Maybe Gaz had been wrong. So far the date had actually been... fun. Zim talked a lot... about himself of course. But when Gaz talked he also made sure to listen, which was surprising. After dinner he took her too a movie (which he pronounced moevee because if it were moovee than there would be too O's wouldn't there and he refused to listen to her explanations). It ended up being a violent, action thriller which most girls would have killed him for taking them too on a date but she was at least entertained by the blood and gore. And following the moevee Zim took her home.

"So," Zim spoke up as they walked, "Did you enjoy today?"

"I... surprisingly did," her lips almost curled into a smile.

"Victory for Zim!" he laughed maniacally.

It was even closer to a smile now.

"So you are mine now?" he asked with all seriousness.

The almost smile was gone. "What?" she said darkly.

"When a male takes a female on a 'date' and she enjoys herself she becomes his is that not so?"

Now it was a rather evil looking glare on her face, "You better take that back."

"What? That is how it works! You are Zim's now!"

A low growl escaped Gaz's throat.

"Ha! To own my adversary's very own sister! How sweet a victory!"

"That's what this was!" Gaz roared, "You were trying to get to Dib through me!"

"Eh?"

Zim's head spiraled to the side and he fell to the ground, a slightly bleeding hand print on his cheek (when Gaz is angry, Gaz is mighty). Shock was painted on his face.

She stalked off into the darkness leaving a very disoriented Zim behind.

* * *

The next day Gaz went to a party at an acquaintance's house. Her, the acquaintance's, parents weren't home so there was naturally lots of guys, drugs, and alcohol. 

"Hey Gaz!" Tom smiled at her and beckoned her over. Tom was one of those popular outcast kind of guys. He wasn't really a popular kid but he wasn't really an outcast. Everyone liked him. It probably helped that he was extremely pretty. Gaz didn't know why she was here... She hated all of these people.

No. She did no why. She was here because as long as she was here she wasn't with Zim... Thinking of Zim filled her with an intense rage. At the same time though it filled her with an odd sorrow. It hadn't really been Zim's fault. She couldn't blame an alien for not understanding human culture... She couldn't blame an alien for using her. A glass shattered in her hand.

"Gaz!" Tom called again and Gaz glared at him but walked over to see what he wanted. "Gaz," Tom smiled and held out a beer, "Drink up!"

"No," she replied curtly, "I don't drink."

Tom frowned but then smiled again, "Alright," he walked over to the punch bowl and poured her a punch.

She took the proffered punch, if only to not be rude, and idly sipped it as she didn't listen to the moronic conversations going on around her.

"What?" she asked. Tom had spoken to her.

"I said do you want another punch?" he motioned to her empty glass.

"Oh," she handed it to him and he kindly refilled it.

More talking she wasn't interested in ensued.

She didn't know how long it was but she ended up having five punches... maybe. Something like that.

She also didn't know how she ended up on a love seat in the basement with Tom, his arm around her waist. She ignored that fact and instead focused on trying to focus. She felt weird.

In retrospect, she really should have seen what was going on but by that time she was already to out of it.

* * *

She cried to a man in a darkened room about her feelings for Zim. He comforted her. 

A man's lips encased hers as she washed her problems away. His tongue sought the inside of her mouth and she welcomed it.

A man's hands sought her breasts and tore at her clothes.

A man sought her womanhood and ravished her. She didn't refuse him. She welcomed him as tears stung her eyes, feeling a traitor for reasons she did not know.

The next morning she picked her shirt up off the floor and put her skirt back on. She glanced at the bed and saw no one there. She should have been angry. She should have been furious. She was just tired. Tired and she felt like the worst person in the world.

* * *

Hooray, Chapter Three! I guess at this point I should warn you that I'm not very nice to characters but that's a little after the fact isn't it? 

Black Rain- Thank you very much and freshmen are indeed jerks!

GunGreg89- Yay! I don't know why I came up with that theory on Irkens but it just seems to fit. More about Irken heritage and genetics in later chapters.

geminidragon76- Zim is kind of badass isn't he? That might be a little ooc but I like Zim so I might be a little biased when I write him.

Tacoom- Thank you for the comment and I have your story bookmarked. I'll try to get to it as soon as possible. I just got The Office Season One though so... yeah...

Zeitgheist- Planning to finish the story first huh? That's... probably a really good idea. Thanks, here I thought I was all smart writing ahead and then, "I plan on finishing mine before posting anything." Harumph. Make me feel stupid why don't you? (reply is filled with sarcasm for those who don't see it)

Nekoshoujo- Brightened your day huh? Oooo... Uh... I hope this one doesn't make you sad then.

* * *

A huge thank you to all of my readers without whom I would never finish this! Seeing that people are reading and actually enjoying my story makes me so happy and inspires me to write more. 

Ta ta! I'll see you all next chapter!


	4. Why kill?

Chapter Four: God's Last Train to Nowhere

Zim is dead and as the only heir to the InVade' fortune all of his father's money goes to Zib. With the fortune comes a secret though... He'd never gotten along with his father in life but maybe, in death, he can learn to forgive him.

* * *

The updates are going to be a little more spaced now because its harder for me to find time to write lately. I'll still get them out as fast as possible though! And now with the show!

* * *

Zim sat at lunch alone today. Gaz didn't come into skool which wasn't all that unusual. He did wonder if their date had something to do with her not being here though. _'She seemed so mad...' _he thought and then shook his head. _'Why should I care?'_

"Hey Skin Condition boy!" a cocky bastard walked up to Zim's table with his friends. They were all laughing. "Where's your girlfriend green kid?" the leader laughed. Tom... That was his name.

'_Girlfriend? Gaz is female. Are we friends? It seemed like we were but she's angry with me now. Are we still?'_

Zim shrugged.

"I'll tell you where she is!" laughed one of the guys behind Tom.

"Yeah! I bet she's still recovering after she and Tom had a nice romp in the sack last night!" another one of them laughed.

Tom smirked and spoke up, "Hear that green kid? The one who popped your ice queen of a girlfriend first was ME!" he laughed in a manner only true assholes can ever manage to.

Zim looked up at the group of socially accepted dicks. His stare was so empty and cold Tom and his friends took a few steps back and felt their heart rates rise. "Why should I care?" Zim asked.

'_Why should I care?'_

'_I don't care. It's not like we could have even done anything anyway... I'm sterile. I don't have any reproductive organs.'_ Zim cursed at himself as he hung from the ceiling.

'_I don't care. It was her choice. Why should I care?'_ His spider legs slowly lowered him towards the ground.

'_I don't care... yeah. That's why I'm at his house. Because I don't care.'_ Zim dropped from the ceiling onto the bed of a sleeping teenager. The weight of an Irken falling on him woke the teen up however.

"Wha?" he muttered.

"Glad you're awake flesh-monkey. I'd much rather you awake for this."

* * *

"Reports are that the Hi Skool Senior, Tom Bransford was found dead in his room and parts of him were found all over his bedroom. Tom's parents claim they heard terrifying screaming coming from his room and when they got their he was deceased. Deceased quite throughly in fact! His head, minus the jaw, was found on his pillow while his upper chest and right arm were found against the wall. His pelvis was underneath the bed and his legs were both hanging from his fan. His jaw and left arm are as yet unaccounted for." The reporter lowered the mike and smiled, "I'm so happy one of these skool dying kids finally reached eighteen. I hate it when we can't say their name you know?" 

The off-screen camera man nervously muttered, "We're still rolling."

"What! Cut it!"

Gaz snickered at the reporter but felt very unsettled. That was the boy who'd spiked her punch and wormed his way into her pants. She hated him for it of course but she didn't blame him completely. She had let it happen and she felt terrible. Although why she... She tried to ignore those thoughts.

Gaz never felt bad about anything she did and yet... She felt like she'd cheated on Zim. And this murder, although she couldn't care two figs coated in dookie Tom's well being, unsettled her with its timing.

Lunch again. The whole school was much more subdued than last week, what with the untimely death of Tom and all. Zim was odd today too. He wasn't staring out the window like usual and instead he was looking at Gaz. The staring made her uncomfortable as she played GSPi and she kept dying. Finally she shouted, "What! What is it Zim!?"

"I apologize..." Zim growled out (in a sincere way, he really was).

Gaz raised an eyebrow. In all the years Gaz had ever known Zim he had never once apologized for any of his actions. Whenever he did something stupid or wrong he would blame someone else or say that's what he meant to do. This was earth shattering here. Gaz looked around to make sure that the walls were still holding and no dimensional rifts had opened up.

"For?" Gaz asked.

"I..." Zim sighed, "may have worded what I meant to say wrong."

Another tremor in Gaz's reality. Did Zim just say he was wrong about something?

Zim continued, "I really do find pleasure in your company Gaz-human. And when I said all that about your sibling-beast, I won't lie, I really do find it oh so very sweet to have something over that Dib-stink!" he shook his fist and then settled down. He took her hands in his own.

"Gaz," he said with no extensions whatsoever, "I, Zim, would very much like you to be my human."

Gaz blushed and looked to the ground in shame. "I slept with Tom."

"I know, he told me."

She looked up in shock, "He... told you?" Her eyes opened wide (a very rare occurrence), "You didn't..."

"Didn't what?"

"You-" she shook her head and looked back at him, looking for any trace of denial, "you killed him didn't you."

"What? Oh... yes."

Gaz threw his hands away and stood up in horror. She put her hands to her sides as they molded themselves into fists and stalked out of the cafeteria. Zim stared after her in confusion.

"Gaz-human!" Zim walked into the hall and followed the purple headed girl (now running as she was out of sight of other people).

* * *

Zim finally caught up to her in the art hallway. She was pushing herself off the wall with her hands as her head hung down between them. Her throat forced wave after wave of breakfast, lunch, and last night's dinner down to the floor and when her stomach was finally empty she fell against the opposite wall in exhaustion. "Um... Hello?" Zim walked down the hall towards her and she shot him a death glare. He stopped. 

"What exactly did I do?" Zim asked out loud.

"You murdered someone you monster!"

"I'm a monster? Zim is no monster! That... thing that I killed was a disgusting example of your race. I don't even hesitate to say it, most all of you humans are like him! I just cleaned up a piece of trash on this dirt ball you believe should be your home."

Gaz ignored all his insults on her species because she mostly agreed him but... killing? "Why did you do it? You've always talked about killing Dib, and others, before but you've never done anything horrible to them. And that freshman... what did you do to him? You've changed since you came back from your planet. Some is for the good I mean, I like you, I do. But you... you're more malicious than you used to be."

"So I'm more like you then?" Zim smirked and Gaz glared at him.

"Why did you kill Tom?"

The alien sighed and the period bell went off. Gaz just barely heard him over the thousands of voices that now filled the hallway, "I don't know."

* * *

Yuri Gagarin- Oh it will be full of awsome... So much awsome... OBEY THE AWSOME! 

Connections- I hope this chapter cleared up your confusion. If not, feel free to message me with any random questions.

GunGreg89- Drama indeed! Hooray and welcome to chapter four! There's champagne by the door.

A thank you to all of my readers!

* * *

By the way, the restaurant last chapter, El morte Doninhas, means The Death Weasel in three different languages. Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese respectively. 

The more you know!


	5. Well now that you bring it up

Hello again my lovely readers! With this chapter A Flawed Program is now my longest posted story to date! YAY! I love you all!

Last time on A Flawed Program... Zib's sons, Zib Jr. and ChildNumberTwo are now left with the entire fortune of their father. But... is Zib really dead? The body remains unaccounted for and the clues are piling up. The action came to a shocking conclusion last week when the prime suspect, ChildNumberTwo, was proved innocent but then proceeded to shoot his brother anyway. The last words Zib Jr. heard were, "I should have been the favorite."

* * *

"Stupid idiot," Gaz muttered as she walked down the street towards her home (she never takes the bus). After Zim had told her he had no idea why he'd killed Tom and the classes had let out the two had hurried off in separate directions to avoid odd questions. Gaz found this fierceness in Zim disturbing and didn't know what to make of it. She wondered what had happened to him back on Irk and surprised herself when she realized that she really did want to know what happened to him. 

Its not like it would be the first time she's just shown up at his door.

GIR answered the door, "Hi nice pretty lady!"

"Hi GIR," she patted the robot on the head and walked inside the house.

"I'm makin' smoothies!"

"That's wonderful GIR," she looked around the house, "Where's Zim?"

"I don't know... he left down the trash can an hour ago. Master said he was gonna reopen the communications room."

"Then you do know," Gaz raised an eyebrow.

"NO! No I don't!" he started crying and Gaz had to start awkwardly patting his head.

"Um... okay... You don't know GIR," she said to try and calm him.

"YAY!" and it worked.

Gaz sighed, "Can you show me where Zim isn't?"

"Okay!"

GIR led Gaz into the same place she'd met Zim last time when he'd explained his robotishness to her. This time though the door was open and slightly off its hinges (When Zim seals something 'forever' that's a rather relative term to him so don't take it to seriously). She walked inside, GIR opting to return upstairs and found Zim in front of that large computer screen she remembered from a few times in her childhood.

The screen was black and Zim was making no move to turn it on. He _was_ shouting orders at his computer however, "Computer! Locate the last known positioning of the Massive!"

"Why? Didn't they exile you?"

"Silence computer! Do not question Zim!"

The computer made a resigned sigh-like sound and went silent. Zim hadn't yet noticed Gaz was in the room.

"Shirt...itchy," the alien muttered and tore at the shirt with his sharp Irken claws. The remnants of the shirt fluttered idly to the ground and he softly whispered thanks in relief. Zim hasn't quite figured out how to take an earth t-shirt off properly yet...

He began typing into the keyboard when his computer spoke up, "Sir, the Massive was last sighted near Kor. Its destination is unknown."

"And its last sighting before that was near Swab wasn't it?"

"Yes sir."

"Then I was right... they're coming to get me aren't they?"

"Well... Yes most likely sir."

Gaz gasped and Zim started and spun around. His large red eyes widened at the sight of her and swore. "You led them here? To my home?" Gaz glared at Zim.

"That was not my intent," Zim muttered, "I came here to hide."

"Hide? From what? What did you do?" Gaz was getting angrier and angrier.

"From the Irkens!" Zim screamed and she swore he looked to be on the edge of tears, "I came here to hide from my own people Gaz!"

She raised an eyebrow, "Why did you come back here to earth, of all places?"

"Because..." he thought for a moment, "Earth was the only place I ever felt like I had a home. I was an outcast of Irken society and I never really fit in. Of course," he laughed in a sad manner very unlike Zim, "I never really fit in here either..."

Gaz looked at the blank computer screen, "How did they find you?"

"They didn't. They don't know where I am. If I had to guess they were just sweeping across the galaxy taking planets looking for me."

"Well why you? Why are you so important?"

Zim walked towards Gaz and motioned to his PAK, "Because I'm defective. They tried to have me deactivated once and it ended up screwing the control brains up when they connected me to them. That was a while ago though... The two control brains I messed up they couldn't get working right again so they just shut them down which left one, the largest, control brain. With the other two, who had both voted in favor of my continued activity, all the vote fell to the one brain left. It voted my destruction. Fearing for the mental health of the last control brain the Tallest deemed that I have my PAK simply removed and destroyed," Zim was now right in Gaz's face, practically whispering the story in her ear, she shivered. "A PAK is hard to destroy. Even harder when it doesn't want to be destroyed. I still cannot figure out why but as my empty shell lay on the cutting board being dissected for nutrients my PAK used its spider legs and sought me out. It broke through a rather heavy door and reattached itself to my spine. PAKs never do that. When a PAK is separated from its body it seeks out the nearest host but if no host is near it will simply lie and do nothing. They never move on their own."

Gaz's eyes were shut tightly and she was fighting to keep from showing any sort of emotion. The combination of Zim whispering in her ear and the emotional conviction with which he spoke his story was almost enough to crack her hard shell.

"I killed all of the scientists in that room when I awoke and stole a ship from the hangar. I fled here because I had nowhere else to go. Certainly couldn't return to Irk... I'm not even Irken anymore. I'm almost as human as I am Irken now," Gaz had her eyes closed although she felt as Zim took one of her hands and pressed it to his scarred chest. "There's a lung in there now... or an organ very similar to your human lungs anyway. My squeedly-spooch has actually split itself into three separate organs. Isn't that amazing? I've spent so much time on Earth I'm becoming like you."

Gaz's eyes flashed open and she found herself staring directly into Zim's eyes.

"Master! Big-headed boy is here!" GIR smiled as he walked into the room, Dib trailing behind him. Obviously GIR had failed miserably today at the whole, 'Keep all the filty earth scum out,' part of his job.

"Gaz!" Dib cried when he caught sight of his sister so close to his arch-nemesis's grotesque claws, "Gaz don't worry I'll save you!"

The strange, almost happy, look on Gaz's face became one of pure rage and she spun around to face her idiot brother, "I hope you like pain Dib! You'd better have a very good reason for following me here."

"Gaz, what are you doing here at Zim's house! He's an evil alien! You shouldn't be near him!"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak. Gaz quickly mentally ran through all of the things in her head that would screw with her brother the most and finally settled on the currently easiest, and perhaps best even so. She turned back to face Zim and before either one of them could react she forcefully kissed Zim, forcing her tongue through his zipper-like teeth and wrapping her arms around his neck.

* * *

The kiss wasn't meant to be emotional. It was meant just to spite Dib. It _shouldn't_ have been emotional. 

But as her lips pressed against Zim's and the initial shock wore off Zim awkwardly found himself putting his arms around her. And as Gaz's tongue explored the inside of his mouth his long, segmented tongue began to mimic her's.

This was certainly not the first time Gaz had made out with someone (although it was her first time making out with an alien) and Zim was certainly not an expert (it was his first kiss). Prior to this though she'd never kissed anyone with any sort of feeling in it. She was enjoying it.

She could remember her first kiss in ninth grade. It had been with Billy Adams. He was an outcast and self labeled badass kind of guy. He smoked and drank and thought that it made him cool but was really just a dumbass and an asshole. At the time Gaz had liked him... but at the time Gaz had been drunk. He'd tasted nasty and after he kissed her she sobered up a little, kicked him in the groin, and left the party. After that she had largely avoided parties and drinking.

She'd had a few boyfriends after that. Both had been in ninth grade still. She learned how to really kiss with the first one and taught the second one. Both had ended up dumping her because she was 'evil' and changing schools out of fear. She'd never had another boyfriend after that. All the boys were terrified of her. Girls too.

Gaz was brought back to the present when Zim pulled away from her and gasped in both pain and joy. With a shock Dib (whose was already quite shocked) and Gaz's eyes widened to see Zim's mouth steaming. _'Whoops,' _Gaz thought to herself.

"That," Zim gasped, "was very painful..." He saw Gaz wince although he didn't know why she should. That would mean she cared that he got hurt wouldn't it? He pushed it to the back of his mind and continued, "It was pleasurable though too... what was that?"

Gaz sniggered, "That was a kiss."

"A kiss?"

"Yeah."

Zim stared at her, "Okay." He didn't ask questions, or demand to know what she meant. He merely accepted her answer and shifted his gaze to Dib, "Earth-monkey! Leave from the house of Zim!"

"Never Zim! You think I'll leave after I just saw you force yourself on my sister!" Dib cried.

"Eh?" Zim was admittedly confused.

"You idiot," Gaz growled and grabbed Dib by the collar. She pulled him out of the room and threw him up the trash chute. She turned to look at Zim and almost smiled. Then she left and Zim put a hand to his mouth in confusion.

"Computer!" Zim shouted after he had recovered.

A sighed escaped from the air, "Yes?"

"Roughly how long will it be until the Massive gets here?"

If it could have shrugged it would have, "The route is erratic and hard to predict."

"Fine..." Zim made a fist, "What's the earliest they could arrive?"

"If they don't stop at any planets and took the most direct route as of right now..."

"Yes?"

The computer made another metaphorical shrug, "A 24 and a half days."

"Isn't it usually a straight month or something like that?"

"What is this," Zim's computer cynically replied, "a television program?"

* * *

StardustSage- I'm honored that you should read my ZaGR despite your not going for it. Thank you so much!

geminidragon76- I'm cheering for them too so don't you worry... maybe.

Nekoshoujo- I got this one out as soon as possible. I'm glad to have you back, you're reviews are a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark and dreary world.

Yuri Gagarin- For the future!

CeilingCat- Vicious murder is nice isn't it though?

otherrelmwriter- Well he's never experienced anything like this before... He doesn't know what to make of it you know? Poor guy.

Logrus Mage- Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try and get a bit more descriptive.

I love you all!


	6. A very large boom in the near future

_Hello again everyone! I'm really sorry for how long it took me to come out with this chapter. I've been somewhat out of whack lately because I just graduated high school... and it's a weird feeling. Anyway, here's chapter six!_

_I do not own Invader Zim._

* * *

"Gaz!" Dib protested back at the Membrane residence, "Why would you let him do that to you? He's a monster! An alien!" 

Gaz glared at her brother and quieted him before speaking, "Yes, he's an alien. No, he's not a monster. He's..." she trailed off.

"Sis?"

Another glare from Gaz and Dib was halfway up the steps to his room, "Don't you dare follow me this time Dib or I swear I'll throw you in a fiery furnace of pain and torment."

"Where are you going?"

She waved over her back as she walked back out the door and didn't respond.

* * *

Gaz rang the doorbell (for the first time, she always knocked before) and was rather shocked at Zim's choice of a doorbell ring. 

"Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring, BANANAPHONE! Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding, DONANA PHONE!"

Gaz's eyebrow raised when the door opened and Zim was standing there, "GIR picked it."

A small, blink-and-you'll-miss-it, smile appeared on her face and Zim let her inside.

"I kissed you to spite Dib..." Gaz muttered from her seat in the kitchen.

"Yeah I got that," Zim smiled as he poured her coffee and took a seat for himself. No coffee for himself.

"I enjoyed it though," she continued.

"I got that feeling too."

"I think I might like you Zim."

"Like?"

"Like... um... I might find you more tolerable than most other people."

"Oh. Well then me too."

Gaz chuckled, "Yes well... I don't think I described it well enough but..."

"Gaz... I'm becoming more and more human..." Zim cut her off. Gaz was angry at first but then she noticed just how... frightened he looked. "Look at me!" Zim laughed, "I just actually acknowledged these... things I'm feeling for you. Hell! The fact that I'm feeling them at all... I'm scared Gaz... and I don't know who else I can tell anything to."

"Uh, GIR or your computer maybe?"

"Are you kidding?" Zim raised a weary eyebrow, "GIR's like a two year old human. He doesn't understand any concept of consequence or even feeling. I mean sure... he acts like he cares for me often enough but really... its all program. Well, actually its paperclips, lint and some other garbage but that's still... its all a program."

"But GIR he-."

"Oh don't misunderstand me! I love having him around (although I probably would have conquered your planet five times over without him) he makes things... interesting. And I have found that he's learning, to a degree. Eventually he might actually understand just WHY he feels such adoration for me..." Zim sighed. "Oh and my computer? Are you kidding?! All my computer does is mock me and make sarcastic remarks at my expense. It's wonderful for keeping my magnificent ego in check but I'm afraid to say its fairly useless in regards to what I need right now."

Gaz wasn't quite sure what to say.

"Your planet's gonna die..." Zim laughed sullenly, "And me... and you... and everyone on this retarded rock that calls itself a planet."

"Why? What are you planning?" Gaz glared daggers at Zim from across the table.

Zim stared at her for a few moments and then shook his head as he seemed to come to a conclusion. He grabbed her hand to get her attention, which made Gaz blush furiously, "Gaz human... My Tallest are coming here..."

"Your... tallest?"

"Um... the leaders of my people."

"Your leaders are decided by height?"

Zim ignored her comment and looked into her eyes, "They'll destroy your planet when they get here."

"Wha? Why?"

"To kill me."

"Oh yeah you told me about tha... they'd destroy a whole planet to get to you?"

Zim shrugged, "There's plenty of planets in the universe... why waste time on this backwards world?"

"Hey! This backwards world is my home!" Gaz fumed.

"Really? You deny it most of the time..." Zim looked up, "Most of the time you seem to want to distance yourself as far as possible from your own species.

"Well but... I can't just let myself die!"

Zim smiled, "There it is. That's the Gaz I know. Not caring about anyone but your own skin... How attached are you to this planet?"

Gaz raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Because it's a full Irken armada stupid earth monkey! You, me, no one can take it on! The only thing we can do is run... I want to offer you a place in my ship."

* * *

Dib crouched in the bushes outside of Zim's base waiting. Gaz had gone inside almost a half an hour ago... Something was wrong. "Zim's going to torture her!" Dib screamed in his head... and yet Gaz's warning still resonated within him. Normally he ignored her warning because although she always went through with her promises he managed to survive them. This time when she said not to follow her. It was terrifying. Well... more terrifying than usual.

* * *

Gaz opened the front door and stepped out onto the front porch, "So... why do you want me to come with you then anyway?" 

Zim followed her out and smiled slightly, "I said earlier that I like you... or at least tolerate you better than most people. Ha ha! You should be honored to have a place on the ship of Zim!"

Gaz laughed out loud. An odd expression of emotion from her but she couldn't help it. She'd just been told that her planet, her home, was doomed at the hands of the first person (who wasn't a human) she'd ever found herself starting to like and he didn't even intentionally cause it. It was just because his bosses hated him and wanted him dead. Now this person who wasn't a human wanted her to go with him into space with him. It was funny! That's the only thing Gaz could put to express her feelings. It was all so very funny! "Where?" was the second question that came to mind but Zim didn't seem to have an answer for her. He just gave her a very humanlike shrug. Gaz thought for a moment, "What about my brother?"

"Oh god dammit... does he HAVE to come? He'll just try to kill me the entire way to wherever!"

"He's my brother."

"It's my ship."

Gaz glared and Zim relented but tried to play it off as if he was merely gifting her something, "Oh fine! Very well! Dib-monkey may come... I guess..."

* * *

One full week passed without much happening. Neither of the pair told Dib that he was coming with them (or that the earth was going to be destroyed) so needless to say on the day of departure he was slightly angry. 

"What the hell Gaz!" Dib cried when she explained the situation to him, "Well I'm certainly not coming! I have to help defend the earth from your boyfriend's onslaught!"

"Okay first," Gaz grabbed Dib by the front of his shirt and pulled him dangerously close, "he's not my boyfriend. And second," she let him go and Dib dropped to the ground like a rock, ass in the dirt. "It's not his fault that his leaders hate hi- well yeah it is... but he can't really help it. He's an idiot. Anyway you're coming and that's that."

Then something strange happened. Dib stood up to Gaz, "No Gaz... I'm not coming," he looked up at Gaz from the floor, his face full of sadness but resolve, "If you want to go off with Zim that's... okay. I don't like it but... Look I'm sorry for trying to interfere in your life so much in the past. It was all just to protect you I hope you know. I love you sis." Dib got to his feet and dusted his pant legs off and before Gaz could react he pulled her into a hug. Gaz was in shock.

"I'm probably gonna die from this I know but I hope you understand... I can't just abandon earth. I'll defend this planet with every fiber of my being," Dib broke the hug and smiled at Gaz brightly, "Gaz... don't even try to stop me. This is what I've been waiting for my entire life. For the first time in my life I have a real purpose!"

He wasn't lying either. Gaz had never seen Dib's eyes so full of passion and fire... not even when Zim first arrived. The threat of a full onslaught just sent Dib into a full fit of psycho alien melodrama. He was completely ready to die and there was nothing Gaz would be able to say to talk him out of it. She sighed and, unexpectedly to both of them, gave him a hug.

"You big idiot..." she pushed him away and stormed off before he could see the corners of her eyes starting to glisten.

* * *

Zantor7- Yes... quite painful for the poor guy. What can I say? I'm an evil jerk.

otherrelmwriter- That would be neat and it might still happen... who knows? Mwah ha ha!

Tarva- Hee! I like being unexpected. Keeps people guessin'.

Nekoshoujo- Well despite my long periods of silence I can promise you that I will finish this eventually. It may take a while but I will finish it!

blackheart- And I have to say I'm glad that you read and enjoyed it... even more glad that you reviewed too! Thank you very much!

geminidragon76- Thank you for all the love! Here's a heart to show my appreciation 3

Tenchu-Jinchu- What can I say? I know it is. Hee hee! But really, thank you!

jessica- Thank you and I'll be sure to!

Thanks again to all those to took the time to read my story. I love you all!


	7. And now for a short commercial break

I know its been a while and I know this isn't very long of a chapter. That's just not fair to you and I know that. I'm sorry. This is more of a lead in to the next chapter than a chapter in itself.

I hope not to take as long getting the next chapter out.

Warning: Use of the F word throughout this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Invader Zim.

* * *

JOURNAL ENTRY, ZIM

Words...

They're so fleeting. Especially when you consider just how fucked this whole thing is you know? I told her I love her... Do I really mean it? Maybe. I don't know. I don't want her to die certainly. And I guess I don't want her to die enough to tell her I love her, enough to tell her that I needed her to come with me. "Dib'll be okay," I lied to her. "Have you ever known anyone that had such a cockroach-like ability to survive and bother you later?"

She laughed. That's good.

* * *

Journal Entry, Gaz

Stupid idiot.

He just had to stay behind didn't he? Fuck. I'm losing everyone that matters to me... no that's not true. Zim. He said he loved me. I wasn't sure if he meant it but it was the first time anyone's ever said that to me. Mother died before I can remember, Dad's... distant, and my relationship with Dib has never been close. I grew up completely on my own and I'd told myself I needed no one.

Love...

Fucking fine. I'll go with him into space.

Fuck the human race.

* * *

JoUrNaL EntRy, DiB

She's gone. He's gone. Anything tying me to this world is gone... except the future. I never really liked people. Gaz was more up front about it but all told I'm probably just as, if not more, misanthropic than she is. So why am I trying to save them humans then?

Because I have to. This is who I am. Gaz I just hope you understand that.

* * *

GunGreg89- Oh I realize that earth blowing up has been done before. In fact I've read both the stories you mentioned (they're both very good). That doesn't mean it will end up the same thoug... hopefully. Ha ha!

anonymuschild- Have done so!

DP-shrine-in-closet-girl- You think it is sweet? Hrm... I didn't even know I could 'do' sweet. Thank you!

freak- Thank you very much!

StardustSage- Well I hope you keep liking it despite the crappiness of this chapter.

Tarva- Membrane... may or may not make an appearance. I'll not speak! You'll never get anything from me!

brneyedgirl- Yes, keep that hope. Hope is what keeps us going through the day after all.

otherrelmwriter- Gaz admiting feelings is hard to do. It will come eventually, worry not.

geminidragon76- You're reviews bring a smile to my otherwise dark, Pennsylvanian world. Please don't hate me for this terrible chapter.

dorcas- I didn't say ALL freshmen... did I? Maybe I did. I have trouble recalling these days.

Setesh- The next update will be better than this one. I promise.

BlackBaccaraRose- ness? Sweetness? Yes. Nein! Dance, you lying bastard!


	8. Oh boo! Choose for me!

Hello! About my long absence... Well... Just read the chapter.

* * *

Bump.

Zim's ship came to a sudden and sharp stop as if it had collided with something large. He looked through the port but couldn't see anything. Just space. "Did we hit something?" asked Gaz as she stumbled off the makeshift bed and woozily put her arm on Zim's shoulder for support. "I don't see anything," she muttered.

"Yeah... I think we hit a corner," Zim replied.

"A corner?"

"Yeah, a corner. A block. Writer's block. A stopping point."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Zim looked up from his seat at the face of the human he'd so randomly taken to, "It means the writer no longer knows where, or has the motivation, to continue this story in the direction its going. It means one of two things is going to happen now."

"And those two things are?"

"Well either the writer's just going to put the everything on hiatus and never touch it again..."

Gaz swallowed visibly at the horrid thought and Zim brought one of his insectoid claw hands up to grasp the hand on his shoulder, an odd act of comfort coming from him. She gave a tiny smile. They had gotten strangely closer and closer in the last few weeks. They weren't lovers... certainly not. They weren't even really friends. But they relied on each other and each one knew and acknowledged that they... needed each other.

"What's the other possibility?" Gaz finally asked.

"A reset."

"Reset?"

"Reset. As in start over. Authors do that occasionally. They might write themselves into a corner, as we now seem to be in, and then, having no other option, decide to reset the entire story... Continuity goes out the window and everything that's happened up to this point never happened."

Gaz's face scrunched up slightly... Neither option was very good. "What choice do you think the author's going to take?" she asked.

"If I had to guess? He's writing a chapter as we speak, so I'd hazard that he's planning a reset right now."

"That's dislikable to me..." Gaz muttered.

Zim smirked, "You'd rather go into hiatus?"

"Well, no... but..."

Zim got to his feet and walked over to the airlock, "No I know what you mean... We could just end it you know..."

"What?"

"One simple turn of the airlock handle and we could both end it in a second," he smiled at her.

Gaz thought about it for a moment. "That wouldn't change anything though... He could still reset it."

"At least we'd be taking charge of ourselves instead of letting him dictate our fates."

Again she thought but finally... she nodded.

Zim smiled and twisted the airlock handle and kicked the door leading into the vacuum of space open.

Silence.

"Shit!" Zim cursed, "Space is full of oxygen and air now apparently..."

* * *

Well there you have it. I got bored and lost in the direction that my story was going so I'm going to do one of two things now and I'm leaving it up to you (my readers) to decide what I do.

I can either do as Zim believes I'm going to do and reset the story back to the beginning. If I do so I'll keep all the chapters and everything because in their own way everything I write becomes a part of the story. So if I do reset I'll start the new chapter one on chapter 9 of this story.

The other choice you have my lovely readers... is to go with the direction that this chapter took. A venture into the absurd. If you choose this option I'll warn you right now that it will not be pretty and it may (read: will certainly) confuse and frighten you.

There are your choices my readers. Reset the story or journey into the absurd. Vote by review.

Sincerely, Jak


End file.
